Debate: Foam or Fiberglass

Which option would you choose?


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sure.....yeah........whatever you say........

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My vote goes to foam. I’m on the far left in this picture (the white and red spartan). My suit is almost 5 years old, and does show a bit of wear if you are super close to it, but from 5 feet away, it still looks pristine (the SAW is also foam). My lid is pep’d and glassesd.

Keep in mind that both pep suits and foam suits will require some upkeep. On that note, however, foam will rub, flex, and crease slightly, where fibreglass is far more likely to crack (especially if you go heavy with the body filler). Comfortability is huge as well. I can easily wear my suit for 5-8 hours without it pinching or digging into my anywhere, and I can sit down without any issues. I work with fiberglass and fillers every day (autobody tech), and I would choose foam over fibreglass for armour in a heartbeat. The only downfall are helmets, which have a number of tight curves and minute details, but I see you’ve already decided to go with a resin cast.

As for foam thickness, I would strongly recommend using 10-12mm thick forms for the base of your armour, and stick to 5 and 2mm foam for the details. 5mm is just not strong enough to easily retain its shape and resist creasing/deforming.
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My vote goes to foam. I’m on the far left in this picture (the white and red spartan). My suit is almost 5 years old, and does show a bit of wear if you are super close to it, but from 5 feet away, it still looks pristine (the SAW is also foam). My lid is pep’d and glassesd.

Keep in mind that both pep suits and foam suits will require some upkeep. On that note, however, foam will rub, flex, and crease slightly, where fibreglass is far more likely to crack (especially if you go heavy with the body filler). Comfortability is huge as well. I can easily wear my suit for 5-8 hours without it pinching or digging into my anywhere, and I can sit down without any issues. I work with fiberglass and fillers every day (autobody tech), and I would choose foam over fibreglass for armour in a heartbeat. The only downfall are helmets, which have a number of tight curves and minute details, but I see you’ve already decided to go with a resin cast.

As for foam thickness, I would strongly recommend using 10-12mm thick forms for the base of your armour, and stick to 5 and 2mm foam for the details. 5mm is just not strong enough to easily retain its shape and resist creasing/deforming.View attachment 281908
Thanks man I really appreciate your insight :)
 
I prefer foam, myself but totally understand the pain of finding wrinkles/creases from normal wear and light bending.

What helped my build with that issue was sealing and priming with HexFlex brush on paint, several layers of sandable primer on top of that, sand smooth and top coat over. It’s not fool proof but it definitely created a flexible surface that can flex/take some punishment and bounce back with minimal to no creasing.
 
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